The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins have struggled through a tough schedule to start the season, but the worst of their slate — a stretch of five road games in six nights — is over.
The Bruins finished that road swing last week with a 3-2 shootout win over the Notre Dame Hounds on Oct. 21 and a 6-0 loss to the Melville Millionaires the next night.
In the five games, the Bruins won one game, lost two in regulation and lost two more in shootouts.
"It was kind of a Jekyll and Hyde team. I thought we'd play more consistently. To get four out of 10 points is obviously not good enough, but there are a lot of positives to take out of it," said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood.
The Bruins are now 4-8-0-3 on the year, putting them in third place in the Viterra Division and 11th in the league. Along with the Weyburn Red Wings, they have played more games than any other team.
In Melville on Wednesday, the Bruins surrendered three goals in the second period en route to a blowout loss. It was their third defeat in four games against the Millionaires this season.
"Melville was tough. We had some giveaways and unforced errors that cost us early and it sort of spiralled away from us as the game went along," said Lewgood. "Being the last game of a long stretch on the road in a small amount of time was a big factor, and we couldn't get things back on track."
Eric Meyer opened the scoring three minutes into the game and Lane Harbor extended the hosts' lead four minutes later on a power play.
In the second period, Dalton Menke made it 3-0 just 31 seconds in, and the edge grew with goals by Drew Litwin and Cole Berreth later in the period.
Reed Murray closed out the scoring with less than two minutes left in regulation on a power play.
Shots on goal were 42-26 for the Mils.
Tyler Gutenberg got the start for the Bruins and allowed five goals on 27 shots before being replaced by midget call up Curtis Meger in the third period. Meger stopped 14 of 15 shots.
Against the Hounds, Darcy DeRoose scored the shootout winner to break a recent trend that has seen the Bruins struggle in the post-overtime breakaway contest.
"I thought the guys really embraced the game plan and played hard. We had some bounces go our way and I thought it was a good all-around effort," Lewgood said of the win over one of the SJHL's best teams in the early going.
Estevan's Jason Duret opened the scoring 2:22 in to the second period, only to see Notre Dame's Kobe Kindrachuk answer 84 seconds later.
Ryan Donovan gave the Hounds the lead at the 15:49 mark of the period.
DeRoose tied the game four minutes into the third before ending it in the shootout.
Shots on goal were 38-22 for the Hounds, including a 17-5 edge in the second period.
Gutenberg made 36 saves for the Bruins, while Alexi Thibaudeau stopped 20 shots for the Hounds.
Lewgood said now that the tough early schedule is over, it will get easier for the club to get to where they want to be.
"I think the schedule gets better for our club. It was very front-loaded with challenges. Other teams are improving, so I don't think it gets any easier opponent-wise, but as far as the schedule goes, we don't have that type of adversity down the road.
"I think there's a lot of better days ahead. Our team's kind of been through the wringer. There have been some really good nights and some pretty negative ones. We have a solid group of guys in the room, and there's a lot of bright spots ahead."
Meanwhile, the Bruins took advantage of a weekend off by making a trip to Grand Forks to see the University of North Dakota men's hockey team play two games against Providence at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
It has become an annual early-season trip for the Bruins, and Lewgood said it's important for team bonding.
"I think it was good for team morale and bonding, and it was nice to see the next level of play, and I think our guys took something away from that."
The team's coaching staff also scouted some midget action while south of the border.
On the injury front, captain Nolan Nicholas returned from an injury on Oct. 21 against the Hounds. Lewgood said the team's other injured players - forwards Patrick Lyster, Lynnden Pastachak, Keaton Longpre, Brad Arabia, R.T. Rice and Taylor Ross, and goalie Brett Lewchuk, are all day-to-day. He said Ross, recently acquired from the Hounds, is ahead of schedule and could return this weekend.
The Bruins will host the Humboldt Broncos on Friday. On Saturday, they play the Yorkton Terriers in a neutral-site game in Moosomin. On Tuesday, they host Melville.
Both home games are at 7:30 p.m. at Affinity Place.
